1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a swing training aid and a method for developing a more consistent swing along a specified swing plane, especially intended for golf. More particularly, the invention relates to a visual training aid for developing a swing which incorporates a light which is projected onto a player and a hitting instrument in such a fashion that the player's shadow and the shadow of the instrument are cast onto a surface having a plurality of markings disposed thereon which depict an ideal swing plane for the instrument and reference points for positioning the player prior to and during the swing.
2. State of the Art
Training aids for various sports such as golf, baseball and racket sports are well known in the art. By far, the majority of these training aids focus on one particular aspect of the above sports, namely, the swing. It is also well known that there exists an abundance of literature focused on this subject which describe various position sequences, turning movements and key elements for correcting and/or perfecting the swing. However, as can be appreciated, converting written or verbal instructions into correct body movements can often be a difficult, time consuming and not necessarily accurate process. Moreover, even with the best written or verbal instruction, visualization of the correct and/or perfect swing can be quite toilsome.
For example, golfers work to develop an "ideal" golf swing which can generally be defined (within the contexts of golf) to mandate three principles: 1) to contact the ball with the club face controlled to produce the desired ball trajectory (e.g., square for straight line or an open or closed face to produce a "fade" or "draw"); 2) to contact the ball such that the club head velocity component resides in a single direction which is transferred through the center of gravity of the golf ball directed along the target line; and 3) to consistently swing golf clubs of varying lengths in accordance with principles (1) and (2) above. Moreover, a golf swing is a motion that attempts to accelerate the club head to a maximum velocity at impact with the ball keeping in mind the above principles. However, several other important factors further complicate the golf swing as well: 1) the "ideal" swing plane is at an angle to the ground surface; 2) the velocity at the top of the golf swing is zero; and 3) the golfer constantly manipulates the golf club during the course of the swing to position the club head normal to the golf ball at impact.
As can be appreciated, even the slightest deviation from the ideal swing can cause a golf ball to fly off line and, in some cases, a more deviant swing can lead to disastrous results, e.g., hook, slice or even missing the golf ball entirely. Only under certain circumstances would a golfer stray from the above principles, e.g., to intentionally "fade" or "draw" the golf ball (see FIG. 5D and FIG. 5E, respectively).
Other sports, such as baseball and various racket sports, have similar principles for defining their respective "ideal" swings for hitting baseballs and/or tennis balls, respectively. For example, in tennis, the ideal swing for a forehand swing comprises both movement in the forward direction as well as movement in an upward direction relative to the tennis ball. Hitting the ball in this manner provides "top-spin" on the ball which, in most cases, is the preferred spinning movement of the tennis ball.
As mentioned above, many swing training aids have been developed in the past to assist athletes in developing their swings. This is particularly true with golf where numerous devices have been developed for the purpose of improving the mechanics of a golfer's swing. For the most part and by and large, these devices use restraints which are rigged on the golfer's head, arms, hands, legs, torso and/or other body parts and work to align the golfer and/or golf club prior to the golf swing and/or work to control the golfer's movement and/or club movement during the golf swing. Other known devices utilize complicated contraptions for aligning the golfer prior to the golf swing and/or controlling the swing plane of the golf club during the golfer's swing. As can be appreciated, many of these devices are overly complicated and simply condition one aspect of the golf swing without necessarily addressing other aspects of the swing which are equally important for developing a good or "ideal" golf swing. For example, if a device simply teaches a golfer the proper positioning of his/her hands during the golf swing many other factors can still cause the ball to fly off-line, e.g., the golfer's head is improperly positioned or the golf club is improperly aligned prior to and/or during the golf swing.
Still other devices utilize sophisticated computer systems and videography to analyze a golfer's movement during the golf swing. As can be appreciated, these systems are quite expensive and do not necessarily provide instantaneous feedback which the golfer can readily employ and practice to improve his/her golf swing.
Still other devices employ mirrors to assist the golfer during the golf swing. However, it can be appreciated it is often difficult to properly align the mirrors for meaningful feedback since improper movement of the head often has negative impact on the golf swing.
While apparently generally acceptable for their intended purposes, by and large, the prior art devices are overly complicated and expensive necessitating the need for the development of a new, effective and inexpensive training aid for developing a consistent swing for various athletic activities.